Teams up with pipeline partner Sweegen for bridging natural solutions with mainstream taste.
Conagen's sweetness enhancers are ideal for sugar reduction solutions in food and beverages.
Sweegen has a long-standing partnership with biotechnology innovator Conagen.
Bedford, Mass., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Conagen, the Massachusetts-based biotech firm, announced the commercialization of an expansive portfolio of natural sweetness enhancers for taste modification in sugar reduction solutions for food and beverages. The enhancers are made with precision fermentation, a technology that has led to the innovation of an extensive platform of phenolic antioxidants.
Sweetness enhancers in the market today are made by chemical synthesis or by using an organic solvent extraction method, both of which are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and environmentally unfriendly. Conagen’s precision fermentation method is a preferred, clean, and sustainable method for developing sweetness enhancement compounds.
“These unique molecules are yet another example of how Conagen leverages its molecular platforms and precision fermentation capabilities to create useful ingredients for food and beverage applications. Our ability to rapidly scale modern, clean and sustainable sweetness enhancers provides additional and better options for taste modulation and sugar reduction beyond those enabled by the non-caloric sweeteners already on the market,” said Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D., vice president of innovation at Conagen.
Conagen’s sweetness enhancers belong to a group of natural product molecules called phenolic compounds, found extensively in many plant species. Phenolic compounds are commonly found in vegetables and fruits and are a significant part of the human diet. They are biosynthesized by plants and lichens as secondary metabolites and comprise a diverse group of phytochemicals.
Increasing consumer awareness of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes sparks the market pull trend toward zero sugar and low-to-no calorie food and beverages and is expected to continue upward. The health trend drives the growth in new sweetness enhancer technologies for an ever-demanding sugar reduction solutions market. Consumers are seeking ways to improve their diets and are increasingly interested in natural and clean ingredients.
Conagen and its pipeline partner Sweegen, a global leader in wellness-based sugar reduction solutions, have previously teamed up to develop modern natural sweeteners that can replace up to 100% sugar in particular food and beverage applications and bitter blockers to mitigate up to 80-100% bitterness in consumer trending products, such as energy drinks, sauces, and confectionery products with low to no sugar.